Heading for the Hills:
A Trip Worth the Trek

Chinese Mountain Retreat,
Though an Effort to Reach,
Is Peaceful, Scenic Escape

By

Craig Simons Special to The Wall Street Journal

Updated May 21, 2004 12:01 a.m. ET

Reaching Wenhai Ecolodge in the mountains of southwestern China is no easy feat. But if getting away is the point, then getting there -- to a solar-powered courtyard house set amid spectacular, snow-capped scenery and traditional farming villages -- is definitely worth the effort.

The effort includes a flight to Lijiang, a lovingly restored old town of canals and cobblestones in Yunnan province -- that's the easy part -- then an 18-kilometer hike or horseback ride, mostly uphill, through rustic villages and pine forests,...